Polygon burn accelerates, but POL price remains range-bound

Polygon’s token burn rate accelerated sharply in January, driven by higher on-chain activity, even as POL’s price remains locked in a broader consolidation range following months of downside pressure.

Data shows that 25.7 million POL tokens were burned in January, representing approximately 0.24% of the total supply. The January figure stands out as one of the largest monthly burns since the POL transition, far exceeding most months across 2024.

Polygon network usage drives burn spike

The burn acceleration coincided with a clear increase in network activity on Polygon’s proof-of-stake chain. 

According to data, active accounts briefly surged to 750,000–800,000 in early January.  The number settled into a more stable band between 400,000 and 500,000 daily active accounts through the rest of the month.

This pattern suggests short bursts of heightened usage rather than a one-off anomaly. Since Polygon’s burn mechanism is usage-linked, higher transaction throughput directly translates into more POL being removed from circulation.

At the current pace, January’s burn rate implies that close to 3% of POL’s total supply could be burned by the end of 2026, assuming activity levels remain elevated.

POL price rebounds, but structure remains weak

Despite the burn increase, POL’s price action remains cautious. The token is trading around $0.11–$0.113, up roughly 9–10% on the day. 

Trading volume also picked up, with 24-hour volume rising by nearly 20%, lifting POL’s market capitalisation to approximately $1.19 billion.

However, the broader chart structure shows POL remains well below its mid-2025 highs, with a series of lower highs still intact. Technical indicators reflect the same restraint. 

POL’s relative strength index [RSI] sits near the low-40s, consistent with a relief bounce rather than a confirmed trend reversal.

What the burn trend means for POL’s price

Polygon burned 25.7 million POL in January, equivalent to roughly 0.24% of total supply, reinforcing POL’s usage-linked value model. Transaction activity on the Polygon PoS chain directly feeds into token burns, tightening supply over time.

POL currently has a circulating supply of about 10.58 billion tokens and a market capitalization of about $1.2 billion, according to CoinMarketCap data. 

At prevailing prices, January’s burn removed roughly $2.8–3 million worth of POL from circulation. While notable, that figure remains small relative to POL’s daily trading volume of over $130 million, limiting its immediate impact on price.

This gap helps explain why POL has remained range-bound despite an acceleration in burns. The deflationary effect is measurable but not yet large enough to override broader market sentiment and positioning.

If elevated network usage persists, continued monthly burns would gradually compress POL’s effective supply, increasing its sensitivity to demand when market conditions improve. 

For now, price action remains driven by wider crypto trends, with the burn mechanism strengthening POL’s longer-term supply dynamics in the background.

Final Thoughts

• Polygon’s January burn of 25.7m POL marks a clear acceleration in supply reduction driven by higher on-chain usage.
• Despite a short-term price rebound, POL remains range-bound, with technicals yet to confirm a broader trend reversal.